K-Pops! (TIFF) Review: The Korean Pop genre gets lovingly satirized by rapper Anderson .Paak

Rapper Anderson .Paak directs and stars in this father-son story set amid the burgeoning K-pop scene in South Korea

PLOT: A washed-up drummer (Anderson .Paak) gets offered a lucrative gig in South Korea as the drummer for a hit pop idol show.

REVIEW: K-Pops! Is a rather charming debut for rapper Anderson .Paak who directs and stars in this loving satire of the Korean pop industry. Like the character he plays, BJ, Paak is half-Korean, with the movie examining the culture clash as the very American drummer is dropped into the zany K-pop industry, I must admit to having no knowledge whatsoever of the industry, except that it’s gotten huge over the years, and seems to really be having a moment in North America. In fact, it’s not rare for me, in my weekly box office reports, to include K-pop concert movies on the chart, with them reliably big money makers as bands like BTS go worldwide. 

Paak’s movie attempts to serve both newcomers to Korean pop and fans. It features cameos from some huge stars, including Vernon from the band Seventeen, whose arrival in the film was greeted by cheers from the sold-out audience I saw this with at TIFF. 

Paak’s movie is quite funny in the way it depicts the K-Pop pecking order, with it being explained that each band has a member who’s only job is to be handsome, while another is the designated dancer, and another is responsible for dropping the mandatory rap break into the song. To give Paak credit, it made me want to learn more about the industry, as it seems like a lot of their music and talent shows are pretty fun.

But, as it goes on, K-Pops becomes less about the industry and more of a father-son story, with it revealed shortly after arriving in Korea that the young contestant on the show that he’s befriended is actually his son. BJ, it turns out, was in love with a Korean woman, Yeji (Jee Young Han), who left him due to his total focus on his career. Much of the movie revolves around him building a relationship with his kid, Tae Young, who’s actually played by Paak’s own son, Soul Rasheed, who’s a natural in front of the camera. In one of the best running gags, he affects an English accent in oder to feel closer to the man his mother always told him was his real father, Idris Elba.

While K-Pops was a lighter entry into the TIFF lineup, it was certainly good for a laugh, even if at close to two hours, it runs a little long, with the pace lagging in the second half after the propulsive first hour. The supporting cast is sold, with Jee Young Han likeable as Tae Young’s resourceful mother, while Yvette Nicole Brown steals scenes as BJ’s adoring mom. One of the best recurring gags is how Brown’s character and one of BJ’s pals (rapper Dumbfounded – who’s quite funny here) can’t fight their uncontrollable attraction to each other, much to BJ’s dismay.

The danger of bringing a movie like K-Pops to TIFF is that it’s so gentle a yarn that it can’t help but get occasionally overlooked in festival coverage opposite bigger films. But I found it to be a sweet little movie with good performances from Paak and his son. Given his fame as a rapper and the fact that K-pop is having a moment right now, I wouldn’t be surprised if this one walks away from TIFF with a nice distribution deal.